


New Kid in the Sandbox

by ShadoKat771



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: 2.12 Episode Related, Gen, a bit of language, pre-bromance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-12 20:12:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19236277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadoKat771/pseuds/ShadoKat771
Summary: After *that* fight, Charlie has a little meeting with Jack...





	New Kid in the Sandbox

The sound drifted to where Charlie sat like the fine particles of sand the slight breeze brought to him. It took him a few moments to recognize it, as his thoughts had been elsewhere, processing his latest orders. He had been reassigned to a new position, away from his EOD tech and good friend. It sounded like...a fight.

He got up out of the shade he was sitting in and began making his way in the direction the sound originated from, noting that the sound had stopped for all intents and purposes. He was still a few yards from his former barracks when he met a fellow soldier.

“Smitty!” He called. “What the hell is going on?”

The buff, black haired, blue eyed soldier stopped in front of Charlie, grinning. “Your former EOD tech got himself into a fight with a new guy”, he said. He then launched into a blow-by-blow account of the fight, ending with, “and your Wunderkind had him in a choke hold. If Colonel Martinez hadn’t walked in when he did, ol’ Sarge would have been out cold!” He chuckled. “The big  _ schmuck _ wasn’t expecting Mac to fight back that well”.

Charlie laughed. “Where’s he now?” He asked.

Smitty jerked a thumb over one shoulder. “Over in the Med tent”, he replied, “getting checked out”.

“Thanks”. Charlie clapped the other man’s shoulder lightly and made his way to the medical tent.

As he walked, his temper began to rise.  _ What kind of jackass would get into a fight with an EOD tech? _ He thought.  _ Especially one as talented as Mac? _

By the time he reached the med tent, he had worked up a full head of steam. Staff parted ways for him, and made it easy to spot the shock of dirty blond hair attached to the EOD tech, sitting up on a table, shirtless, getting checked out.

“Mac!” He called, getting the younger man’s attention as he walked up to him. He returned the smile of greeting, but it faded by the time he reached the man’s side. “What the hell happened?” He asked. He looked at MacGyver’s bruised knuckles. “Are your hands ok?”

“I’m fine”, MacGyver replied with a grin. “Nothing’s broken. Just a few bumps and bruises.

“He’s good to go,'' the doctor said, grinning. “Get out of here so I can get back to taking care of the  _ real _ wounded”, he groused, good-naturedly.

The two men nodded, grinning, and MacGyver put on his t-shirt and hopped off the table.

Outside, Charlie asked again. “What happened?”

MacGyver shrugged. “Was in the barracks and saw a rifle on a bunk with a cracked bolt carrier,'' he began, “like it had been jammed into place in a hurry. Like the guy didn’t know what he was doing”. He took a breath. “So”, he continued, “I took it upon myself to fix it for him, since it was obvious he wasn’t familiar with the weapon. Next thing I know, this knuckle-dragging, loudmouth Neanderthal grabs my shoulder and starts throwing punches”.

Charlie smiled in spite of himself. “Mac”, he said, “you know you can’t just grab somebody’s weapon and start messing with it. It’s their responsibility”.

“I know”, MacGyver replied with a sigh, “but this guy is my new Overwatch, and I  _ really _ don’t want Hillbilly Ray blowing his face off first time he has to fire his weapon”.

“Wait, he’s your new Overwatch?”Charlie blinked in surprise.

“Yeah”, MacGyver’s shoulders slumped. “Martinez said so after he broke up the fight. He sent me to the Med tent, so I’m thinking Dalton’s getting an earful right now”.

Charlie nodded. The  _ last _ thing this base needed was their top EOD tech getting injured in a petty fight. “No doubt”, he said. He put a brotherly arm on the other man’s shoulder. “Go get some rest.  _ I mean it _ . Sleep if you can. '' His smile didn’t reach his eyes.

 

“Hurry up, Dalton! I’m gonna need more of those for tonight’s dinner!”

Charlie stopped in his tracks, grinning. He knew Martinez had a wicked sense of humor when it came to discipline, and this just proved it. He walked around the corner of the Mess Tent to the kitchen end, which was bustling in preparation for meal time. He was momentarily confused when the action near him stopped and men began saluting him, then he remembered it was the reason he and Mac had been split up: he had been promoted. “At ease, men”, he said, then caught the eye of the nearest man. “Can you tell me where I can find Dalton?”

“He’s in the back, sir,'' the man replied, pointing in that direction, “with the potatoes”.

Charlie walked towards the back of the kitchen, where he found a man seated next to a pile of potatoes, peeling them and tossing them into large pots and muttering to himself as he worked.

“Damned wet behind the ears Greenhorn….”, he said as he peeled and tossed a potato into a large pot, “...messing with my rifle….”

“That’s because the bolt carrier was jammed in it so twisted and wrong it cracked”, Charlie said calmly. “Do you know what would have happened if you had fired it, sergeant?”

Dalton stood up quickly, scattering peels and potatoes around him, saluting with the vegetable peeler still in his hand. “Sir!” He said,”I would have had it fixed and ready for combat, sir!”

“And if the base had been under attack”, Charlie continued, “you would have blown your face off with the first shot. Admit it,  _ Specialist _ MacGyver saved your ass”.

“Permission to speak freely, sir?” Dalton asked. After Charlie nodded affirmatively, he continued. “That... _ kid _ is too young to know anything about weapons and warfare”.

At that, Charlie bristled. “Specialist Angus MacGyver is one of the  _ best _ EOD Techs we’ve ever had,'' he began. “I’ve seen him disarm IEDs using nothing more that a beat up Swiss Army Knife and a wad of chewing gum. His personal record is 156”.

“What”, Dalton scoffed, “in a month?”

“In  _ one day _ ”, Charlie replied, taking a breath. “I was with him. I was his Overwatch before I got promoted”. He took a step, closing the distance between them, and fixed him with his gaze. “Yeah, he’s young”, he continued, his voice low, “and he’s going through a tough time right now. But if you  _ ever _ treat him like shit, or touch one hair on his head again, you are going to go up in a bang so loud, they’ll hear it in Texas, and they’ll send you home in a specimen bottle, so help me God. You got that,  _ sergeant _ ?”

“Yes,  _ sir _ , Master Sergeant, sir”, Dalton replied through gritted teeth, saluting again.

Charlie nodded and returned the salute. “Good”, he said. “I’m going to be watching you. Now get back to those potatoes, or Cookie will peel us both”.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This one was fun! Please leave a Comment and/or a Kudo on your way out, and as always, thanks for reading!


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